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The Significance of a Recommendation Letter

Of course, a resume is necessary. A cover letter too adds a lot of weight to your job resume. But do you know what a recommendation letter can do? How does it increase your employability? Well, a letter of recommendation has the potential to set you apart quickly, attract the employers’ attention and make your skills believable. Without a great recommendation letter, you’ll miss out on a huge opportunity as far as getting a job is concerned.

A resume is actually a collection of information. It does a good job of what academic qualifications you have acquired. It tells the employer about your work experience and skills.

Even if your resume talks about your accomplishments on the previous job, it’s only on the paper. The employer isn’t going to believe you completely by looking at what you have presented in the resume. Your resume may say you are competent, skilled and a go-getter.

But it doesn’t prove anything!

That’s exactly where a recommendation letter comes into play. It’s a piece of evidence that convinces the employer about your skills, capabilities and achievements at work.

A well-written letter of recommendation provides an employer with in-depth information, which a resume fails to do. It raises the confidence of the employer or the hiring manager and compels them to hire you for the advertised job position.

But do you know what goes into the letter of recommendation? In order to use this tool for maximum benefits, you should clearly understand who should write this letter, how they should write it and how you can help the writer create a copy that makes you instantly saleable.

Let’s first talk about who you should choose to write the recommendation letter for you. A letter of recommendation actually translates to having someone who recommends you to a potential employer. Since it’s a highly responsible talk, you should not make any hurry choosing the right person. The writer of the letter, first of all, should know you closely. They should know you not by face, but by the achievements you have made.

If you are an athlete, for example, you may request your coach to write a recommendation letter for you when it comes to getting admission at a college or university of your choice.

Depending on your field of work, you may choose influential people or persons of authority to write the letter. You may reach out to an advisor, teacher, a college professor, a community leader or an employer. It’s crucial to choose the right type of professional so that you get success at impressing employers quickly and landing the job of your interest ahead of anyone else.

Though it’s the job of the writer (one who recommends you) to complete the letter of recommendation, it’s your duty to make sure it’s written in the right way to make the most impact. It’s always advisable to request the chosen professional a couple of weeks in advance for the task. This will allow you to have adequate time and write the letter effectively. At the same time, you should never forget to brief the write a little on how to exactly compose the letter.

Many times, the professional you have chosen to write the letter of recommendation lacks the time to do it. In that case, you should compose the letter yourself and then get it approved and signed. This is also an excellent opportunity to make the letter of recommendation more targeted to a job or the specific requirements of an employer.

In any case, you should never forget to use a recommendation letter as a powerful tool to build your credibility with employers.

Have you ever used a letter of recommendation for employment? Please feel free to share your experience.

Carl began his career as a recruiter in the year 2000. Since then, he has interviewed hundreds of job applicants, dealt with several hiring managers and helped a lot of people find better jobs. He's passionate about guiding people towards their best-suited careers.

About Carl Mueller

Carl began his career as a recruiter in the year 2000. Since then, he has interviewed hundreds of job applicants, dealt with several hiring managers and helped a lot of people find better jobs. He's passionate about guiding people towards their best-suited careers.